Longmont Theatre Company hopes to offer patrons booze

Public hearing Friday morning

Performers at the Longmont Theater Company play a game in 2013. The theater is applying for a permanent liquor license. (Greg Lindstrom / Longmont Times-Call)

If You Go

What: Longmont Theatre Company liquor license public hearing

When: 10 a.m. Friday, April 15

Where: Courtroom A, Safety and Justice Center, 225 Kimbark St.

Longmont Theatre Company on Friday will get a yay or nay on selling booze at the Main Street theater after a public hearing on Friday morning before the city's liquor license authority.

The application is under concurrent review, meaning that if the Longmont Liquor Licensing Authority accepts the application, it is also sent to the state government for simultaneous processing.

Approval by the LLA is contingent upon final clearance from a planning and zoning review, background checks and fire inspectors, according to Longmont Deputy City Clerk Dawn Quintana, who serves as the official secretary for the liquor authority.

"All of those findings come forth in this hearing," Quintana said. Then, "the theater company via their attorney will present their case. Their job is to prove that there is a need and desire within the defined neighborhood to have this license and that applicants are of good moral character."

If the judge approves the application, it will then be passed on to state authorities.

Municipal Judge Diana VanDeHey is the sole member of the LLLA and therefore has the power to grant or deny all licenses in the town.

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Regal Cinemas was denied a liquor license in November after failing to convince Judge VanDeHey that the movie theater would be able to prevent underage patrons from getting access to alcohol.

The company appealed that decision in December. In late February, District Judge Maria Berkenkotter issued an order that the case move forward, and an attorney for Regal said opening briefs were filed Tuesday.

VanDeHey announced her retirement Feb. 9 after 30 years as Longmont's municipal judge. Her last day will be in May. The city council on Feb. 16 expressed a preference to remove the liquor licensing duties from the job description for VanDeHey's eventual replacement.

LTC rehabbed the theater's marquee last year after a fundraising campaign. Representatives from the theater could not be reached for comment.

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